Revolving target.



JAMES U. CLARKE, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

BEVOLVING TARGET.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented oet. ia, rais.

Application led August 23, 1910. Serial No. 578,538.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES U. CLARKE, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Revolving Target, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a novel game apparatus and more particularly to a target game the main feature of which resides in a revolving target portion mounted on a suitable stationary base target, both targets being adapted to receive and support suitable darts or the like which are thrown by hand or otherwise and are embedded in the material of the target.

It further consists of other novel features of construction, all as will be hereinafter fully set fort-h.

For the purpose of illustrating my invention I have shown in the'. accompanying drawing one form thereof which is at present preferred by me, since the same has been found in practice to give satisfactory and reliable results, although it is to ber understood that the various instrumentali` ties of which my invention consists can be 'variously arranged and organized and that my invention is not limited to the precise arangement and organization of these instrumentalities as herein shown and; described'.

Figure 1 represents a front elevation of a` @target embodying my invention. Fig. 2 represents a section on line 1c- Fig. 1. Fig. 3 represents a. detail of-construction showing a means of supporting the rotatable target.. Fig. 4represents one of the darts used in connection withmy novel device. l i

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in the figures.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates a suitable base forming the main support of my novel target the said base being preferably square or rectangular in configuration so that it may be readily positioned for use. In the present instance, concentric circles 3 are painted or otherwise marked oi on the base 1 in order to form a xed target portion the same being subdivided or laid off by radial partitions 4, here shown as wires, the ends of which are embedded in the surface of the target in order to fasten them in position. rlthese subdivisions are. preferably numbered in any desired manner and when a dart is thrown and sticks into `a particular subdivision the number corresponding to that subdivision counts toward a total which designates the game. The wires 4 in addition to dividing the target space also serve to prevent the darts from locating on a line between two subdivisions thus eliminating chance of dispute as to which number is to count in the scoring. It will be noted that the subdivisions 2 are preferably formed in a strip detachable from the base l and for `this purpose the latterl is provided with a recess 5 or circular slot in which the subdivisi-on member 2is inserted. The object of this is to provide a means of shifting one Subdivision from one place to another since it is apparent that the larger numbers will be tried for more often than the smaller numbers and therefore thesubdivision designated by the large numbers will soon become worn and perforated. Any well known .means may be utilized for fastening the gstrip of subdivisions within the slot 5 of the base l1 and, in the present instance, I have formed the slot 5 with tapered sides and the strip 2 is securely pressed into the -base l and held by'contact with the side walls.

6 designates a spindle rotatably mounted in a bushing 7 within the base 1 said bushing 7 having a bearing plate 8 secured thereto,\onevside of said bearing contacting with a hub 9 preferably integral with the spindle 6. The opposite face of the hub 9 bears against a similar plate 10 forming a journal for the`r opposite end of the spindle 6 which' end, in the presentI instance, terminates in recessed head l1 with which a spring 12 cooperates. This spring 12 is fixedly secured in any well known manner to a disk 13 which forms a: reinforcing back fo-r the rotatable target of which the face 14forlns the contact surface to receive the darts. This. face member 14, in the' present instance irs preferably of cork or end wood in ordert'o'form a suitable material in which the darftpmay readily stick when thrown atthe target. Preferably at the center of this v target-face 14 a bulls-eye 15 is located from which radiate a plurality ofpartition members 16 terminating at theperiphery of the target and having connected thereto, at a suitable distance from the edge of the face 14, a circle of wire 17 forming circumferential divisions or target blanks 18. These blanks. 18 may be numbered any desired way, but, in the present instance, I have preferred to show them lettered ina plurality of series of letters but 'it will be obvious that this is only one-afdaptationand various arrangements may be made in order to play the vgame in any desired manner. y

In order to expedite the playing of the game so that it -is not necessary to waitv for the rotatable member 14C to come. to rest afterV the darts have been thrown it is preferable to provide a braking device to stopthe member 14 when desired. In the present instance, this device consists of a linger 19 suitably pivoted in an opening 20 and having a lfriction wheel Q1 'on the end adjacent the rotatable member 141. Normally the iinger 19 is held out of engagement with the member 14 by means of a spring 22 but may be brought into operation by manipulating the arm 23 connected thereto, as will be apparent. The dart consists of`a body portion '24 havinga sharp pointed metal striking end 25 while the opposite end is provided w ith a pluralityfof feathers 26 or thelike adapted to aid the dart' correctlyin its flight and to materially,increasethe-accuracy with which the same maybe thrown.

In the operation of the device the base 1 is placed in a substantially uprightposi tion whereupon the rotatable disk 13 is given afforcible turn' to start the same rotating' whereupon the player of thegame standslsome distance away and throws one or more darts at the revolvingztarget'I It -is Vpreferable to play the game with five darts so that l each-person has five throws at the rotatable 1 target and 'when-these are thrown the device f isl stopped through the l maliipulation'oi the 1 braking member 19 and the'location'=of thel dart determined andthe score made by each noted.- Of course-it frequently happens that i a dart lands in-the outer divisionspaces of the base 1 and when this is the case the num- 1 ber 'corresponding to 'this subdivision is also added to' the score made by the darts within the rotating target.

Itwill now be apparent that-I have devised a concrete unitary structure, simple in construction, not liable -to get out of order and intensely interesting inoperation wherein a rotatable target member forms the mainfeature and success in striking the higher numbers or the like requires a great deal of skill andperseverance thereby making. the

device an exceedingly fascinating game to play. f

0f course it will be understood that if de sired the rotatable target portion may be held stationary in'any ,desired manner with theY radial subdivision wires respectively alined with the wires of the base portion thereby forming a-combination lixed target at which the dart may be thrown as desired.

It will' now be apparent that I have devised a novell and useful construction of a revolvingftarget which embodies the lfeatures of advantage enumerated 'as desirable in the statement of the invention and the above description and while I have, in the present instance, shown and described a preferred.

einbodi'mentthereof which has been found in' practice-to givesatisfactory and reliable results, it'is to bey understood that the same secured to said base, a target carried by' said spindle and adapted torotatejg-yvithlrespect to said base, means detachably securing said target to said spindle, a plurality of subdivisions on said rotatable target, and a strip forming a plurality of subdivisions detachably ,secured between said concentric rings.

v 2. A'target comprising a body of soft materialpa circular wire rlng and a'series of radial w1res extending across said ring and securedthereto, `said wires and ring being securedvto' the body portion andl forming/a plui'lalityof sulodivisif'ms in connection therewit 3.V -A- vtarget comprising a bodyof soft material, a remov^ble"-bulls-eye,- a circular wire ring,a:ser1es of radial wires secured to and extending from thebulls-eye across and secured to'the' ring, 'said radial wires and ring seouredgto the bodyigfrpogrtion and forming a pluralityof subdivisions inconnection therewithal" 4. A target comprising a bodyot soft materia-1, a circular wirerlng and a serles of radialfwires extending across said ring and 'secured-thereto, saidwires and ring being securedto the,l body portion and a plurality of 'indicated --spaceslcorresponding to the ,spacesformed between the radially arranged y JAMES U. CLARKE.

Witnesses: f

ROBERT M. BARR, C. D. MGVAY. 

